The present invention relates generally to the field of digital labels and tags for products. It is typical for the manufacturer of a product to affix a label to the product which bears the manufacturer's brand name or logo. Labels are also used to provide product information and information about the manufacturer of the product. Because labels are typically small, they can carry only a limited amount of information. Therefore, it is not at all uncommon to find two or more labels affixed to different locations of a single product. For example, a product may carry a brand label which is placed in a visible location, and interior labels to give product information. However, there is a small, finite limit to the number of labels which can be applied to a product without cluttering the product.
In the past, labels have served as merely static and passive devices to convey label information that is fixed in time, and have not been used to expand the functionality of the product. Animated designs and logos are not possible with conventional woven, printed or stamped labels. Also, conventional labels cannot display information which may change over time, or user-specific information.
Another drawback of conventional labels is how easily conventional labels can be duplicated by counterfeiters. The primary function of a label is to identify the source of the goods to which the label is attached. Duplication of labels by counterfeiters thus undermines the essential purpose of the label and results in fraud on consumers.